What's new with REXX

For the first time since OS/2 2.1 was released, we have a number of new events occurring in the REXX community resulting from new software releases by IBM. Warp has hit the streets with additional functions in REXXUTIL, Object REXX has finally been released on Volume 6 of The Developer Connection for OS/2 CD-ROM, and IBM has made REXX generally available for the DOS community with PC DOS 7.0.

Warp and REXX

Warp, or OS/2 Warp Version 3.0 as it is officially named, has added 5 new functions to the REXXUTIL application programming interface, or API as IBM likes to call it. Definitions 1 through 5 contain a description of these new functions. Unfortunately, IBM did not do a very good job in documenting these new functions. While copying, moving, or creating shadows of workplace shell objects (WPS) is somewhat intuitive, saving and opening WPS objects with the new functions is not.

SysCopyObject(), SysMoveObject(), and SysCreateShadow() are fairly straightforward in their purpose. These functions permit a simple means of copying, moving, or creating a shadow of WPS objects from within a REXX program. However, there are some points of special interest when using these three functions.

When an object is copied, no object ID is provided for in the copy. Whether the original object has an object ID or not, the copy will not have an object ID. The only mechanism for assigning an object ID to the copy is with a third-party utility such as DeskMan/2.

When a shadow is created, the shadow ID of the newly created object will have the same value as the object ID of the original object.

Apparently, the purpose of the SysSaveObject() function is to force OS/2 to write the os2.ini file to disk. I have no idea what particular purpose this was created for other than possibly as a fail-safe mechanism in case of a system error. I have asked the IBM REXX development group for an explanation of the function but they have been unable to provide any meaningful information yet.

The SysOpenObject() function is just as obscurely documented in the online rexx.inf file that comes with Warp. As with many of the other WPS functions contained in REXXUTIL, the IBM-supplied documentation refers to WPS and program manger C⁺⁺ language functions that the average OS/2 user would not have access to without owning the toolkits made for OS/2. The information shown in Definition 4 was compiled from a combination of "bit-digging" research along with some assistance from IBM's Glendale Laboratories - the group responsible for REXX development. The numeric values shown in Definition 4, and used to tell the function which view is to be opened, may not be complete. It will take some trial-and-error testing along with independent research to determine what other values may be used. I suggest that users who want to keep up with the latest information, as it becomes available, stay current with the material in the various REXX related fora on CompuServe (OS2DF1, Section 6), IBM's IBMLink and TALKLink (OS2REXX CFORUM), comp.lang.rexx on the Internet along with your favorite local BBS.

Development Technologies and Greg Czaja have released version 1.51 of DeskMan/2 with updated REXX functionality as well as interfacing with the WPS functions for Warp. C F S Nevada, Inc. has released the third edition of the REXX Reference Summary Handbook (ISBN 0-9639854-2-6) with the Warp additions.

One of the other major changes in Warp that is directly related to REXX is the ability to both create and change printer objects (WPPrinter class) with the REXXUTIL functions. Fragment 6 contains two examples of possible setup strings which may be used to create printer objects. They were suggested by Georg Haschek of PSM, Austria on my OS2REXX forum on IBMLink.

Fragment 6 - Printer object creation

   class    = 'WPPrinter'
   title    = 'Test Printer'
   location = '<WP_DESKTOP>'
   setup    =,
      'QUEUENAME=MYTEST;'        ||,
      'OUTPUTTOFILE=NO;'         ||,
      'PORTNAME=LPT2;'           ||,
      'PRINTDRIVER=IBMNULL;'     ||,
      'DEFAULTVIEW=ICON;'        ||,
      'JOBDIALOGBEFOREPRINT=NO;' ||,
      'QUEUEDRIVER=PMPRINT;'     ||,
      'PRINTWHILESPOOLING=YES;'  ||,
      'OBJECTID=<MY_PRINTER>;'
   call SysCreateObject class,,
                        title,,
                        location,,
                        setup,,
                        'R'

   class    = 'WPPrinter'
   title    = 'Test Laser Printer'
   location = '<WP_DESKTOP>'
   setup    =,
      'QUEUENAME=MYLASER;'              ||,
      'OUTPUTTOFILE=NO;'                ||,
      'PORTNAME=LPT3;'                  ||,
      'PRINTDRIVER='                    ||,
      'LASERJET.HP LaserJet Series II;' ||,
      'DEFAULTVIEW=ICON;'               ||,
      'JOBDIALOGBEFOREPRINT=NO;'        ||,
      'QUEUEDRIVER=PMPRINT;'            ||,
      'PRINTWHILESPOOLING=YES;'         ||,
      'OBJECTID=<MY_LASER_PRINTER>;'
   call SysCreateObject class,,
                        title,,
                        location,,
                        setup,,
                        'R'